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Anonymous Distributor Image above ©istockphoto.com/The-Tor. Thought-provoking comments, a little satire and wit, and sometimes a challenge or two from an anonymous distributor The squeaky wheel isn't always the one we should automatically apply grease to. "Showrooming" is when your customer uses a mobile device to comparison shop while in your store looking at the products you're selling. Kiplinger says, "The new norm is "S (called) 'multichannel shopping.' Your customer researches products online, has it customized and ordered on a tablet in a store with a salesperson's help, and then has it delivered to their home." By 2016, Kiplinger predicts, "Half of all consumer purchases will incorporate some online or mobile component…comparison shopping, ordering, customizing, paying. For most retailers, both large and small, survival means embracing the model." One of the results of multichannel shopping will be a new emphasis on customer service, according to Kiplinger, "turning in-store shopping into a pleasurable leisure activity rather than a necessary chore. A knowledgeable sales staff that can solve problems can make the difference between profitable and broke." If you're using unskilled and untrained labor in your business to sell, it may be time to rethink the effect of those people on your revenue and profitability, and to make knowledge and positive customer service the hallmark of your business. A famous organist was performing a concert on a huge antique organ in front of a large audience. The bellows were hand pumped by a boy seated behind howrooming" is growing, according to The Kiplinger Letter (Kiplinger). a screen, unseen by any in the vast auditorium. The first part of the performance went very well, and at intermission, the organist took his bows as the listeners applauded enthusiastically. During the break, the musician rested in a side passageway. The boy came out to join him. "We played well, didn't we, sir?" the boy asked. The arrogant musician glared at the boy and replied, "What do you mean, we?" After the intermission, the organist returned to his seat to begin his next number. But as he pressed his fingers down on the keys, nothing happened. The bellows produced no wind, and so not a sound came out. Then, the organist heard a whisper from behind the screen: "Say, mister, now do you know what 'we' means?" I've been thinking a lot lately about what Peter Drucker describes as "the last of the deadly sins of business," which he defines as "feeding problems and starving opportunities." It's human nature to focus on what's going wrong and how to fix it rather than focusing on what's going right and how to make it bigger, better and stronger. Focusing on problems and not maximizing the potential of your opportunities can have a huge negative impact on your business results. The lesson to be learned from Drucker's statement is that the squeaky wheel isn't always the one we should automatically apply grease to. We had a meeting yesterday with the entire management team, including a couple of new additions. I really enjoyed listening to the give and take of the participants. I hope the new management team members observed that everyone was willing to speak their minds in a positive way, as well as recognized that each team member had particular strengths and perspectives that complemented the strengths and viewpoints of other team members. It was a definite "wow" moment that made me smile as I realized the immense amount of talented people in the room who were all working together to accomplish important business goals. I like what Michael Jordan writes about teamwork in his book I Can't Accept Not Trying: "There are plenty of teams in every sport that have great players and never win titles. Most of the time, those players aren't willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. The funny thing is, in the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes individual goals more difficult to achieve. One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves." Jordan summed up the powerful results of teamwork when he said, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." Don't forget that final thought. Contact the Anonymous Distributor at anonymous.distributor@gmail.com or read his blog at www.anonymousdistributor. blogspot.com. OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT AUGUST 2012 7 OPE